Our Crew
Tim Rudnick, Founder / Captain
It’s hard to be around Tim Rudnick without getting sucked into his vortex of boundless enthusiasm! The Venice Oceanarium founder is passionate about the ocean and the unique nature of Venice Beach and he ignites this passion in others. He’s the Visionary behind the Venice Oceanarium. It's been a labor of love and has enlightened countless minds over the years.
Tim’s lived in Venice nearly his entire life. Spending most of his youth and adult life a few blocks from Venice Beach, much of his Marine Biology studies took place there, outside of the traditional classroom. That's what inspired him to start the Venice Oceanarium, A Museum Without Walls. Tim shares his appreciation of the wonders of the sea through an integrative approach by blending art, literature, poetry, music and science.
Tim graduated from the University of California Riverside with a degree in Art History. He served on the Board of Directors of the Friends of Ballona Wetlands for nearly 20 years where he vigilantly worked in restoring the Ballona Wetlands. He’s an artist, craftsman, contractor, skilled builder and teacher. He designed and built his eclectic home and beautiful garden in Venice. He and his wife, Robin Lithgow, have lived there since the 1960’s raising three children and hosting grandkids.
A little behind the scenes peek into Tim’s Ocean Garage-arium. It’s chock full of his collection of specimens, aquariums, artifacts, scientific instruments and reference materials. It’s part science lab, part art installation. Think Doc Ricketts' laboratory displayed like cabinets of curiosities of Victorian era museums!
Board of Directors
Keeping Us on Course
Rob Wright, President
Rob is a Managing Partner and co-founder of Grey Mountain Partners, a private equity firm. He has vast experience in finance and strategic planning, handling acquisitions of private companies ranging from $20 million to $500 million in revenues.
Rob received a B.A., summa cum laude, from Columbia University where he was a Truman Scholar and holds a Master’s degree from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences where he was a Mellon Fellow.
Rob and his family enjoy spending as much time as possible at the beach, surfing, boating and splashing.
Joseph Rudnick, Ph.D.
Joe’s impressive professional resumé as a Physicist includes extensive post-doc work, ultimately leading him to joining the faculty at UCLA, where he remained until he retired. While at UCLA, he served in a multitude of Chaired and Dean positions. Among the institutes reporting to Joe, was the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.
In the course of his service as Dean of Physical Sciences he worked with experts on natural processes related to our environment and the importance of our oceans to every living thing on this planet. He gained a keen appreciation for the key role that education plays in fostering an understanding of the centrality of the oceans to our own lives. The Venice Oceanarium couples this scientific education with exposure to the artistic and aesthetic impacts of the oceans in human history.
Mike Schaadt, Secretary
Mike recently retired from a 28 year career at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, the last 12 years as Director. Mike is known for his infectious enthusiasm for science, his boundless passion for teaching and his enduring commitment to the students who will become tomorrow’s champions for marine science.
He is a founding member of the Southern California Aquarium Collaborative, which develops resources for Marine Protected Areas in Southern California, and is Founding Chair of the San Pedro High School Global Environmental Academy. He has a Masters Degree in Marine Biology from Cal State Long Beach. His knowledge and experience in education are invaluable to Venice Oceanarium.
Mike is never far from the sea. In his free time, you’ll find Mike hanging ten and enjoying time with his grandkids.
Joe Stanford
Joe is the esteemed Venice Oceanarium Jack of all trades! Joe is a teacher at the REALM Academy in Santa Monica. Over his 20-year teaching career, Joe has developed a style that encourages kids to learn things for themselves by creating an environment that stimulates their natural curiosity.
Joe is truly a Renaissance man. His educational background is in Fine Arts, History, and Philosophy. In addition to teaching, he’s a fine artist, graphic designer, and website designer. Joe is the backbone of the Venice Oceanarium. He’s volunteered and assisted in every aspect of the organization for more than 12 years.